Today is the full moon in Capricorn, and also a partial lunar eclipse.

In astrology, full moons are a time for completion and clarity — a time when everything is illuminated and brought into the light. Full moons are a powerful time to see what’s really holding you back from what you want, and to uncover the truth about where and why you’re stuck.

Some things that you may illuminate in at the full moon include:

• the darker, or shadow, side of our personalities — the parts that we tend to suppress or hide away
• fears
• limiting beliefs
• motivations (yours and others)
• the full picture of situations or circumstances that are causing you stress
• the truth of other people
• your patterns

Partial Lunar Eclipse

This full moon is also a partial lunar eclipse (though not visible from North America).

According to Jessica Lanyadoo, host of the weekly astrology podcast Ghost of a Podcast, lunar eclipses are like full moons “with the volume turned all the way up.”

Astrologer Chani Nicholas explains that “during eclipses, we are often asked to integrate or witness what we usually reject.”

The illumination of our shadow side and merging it into our light is how we find the whole expression of ourselves.

This particular lunar eclipse is a potent one for emptying out, releasing, and removing what’s in our way. That might be a habit, a relationship, a perspective, beliefs, fears, or other limitations that no longer serve us.

According to Nicholas,

The partial lunar eclipse in Capricorn on July 16th casts its shadow over our lives and psyches, helping us purge what has invaded our systems and clarify any of the more unhelpful emotional patterns we have let steer our ways of working. In stark contrast to the more flawless personas we create, our less likable personality traits get a chance to make themselves known now.

Peeling Back the Layers

So many of us cling to roles we play in life: who we need to be for different people and in different aspects of our life or work. This is a time to peel back the layers of our material lives, including the layers of masks we often wear to protect ourselves in the world.

The invitation at the full moon is to strip away the armoring of protection you wear in the world and the roles you play, and illuminate the truth of your authentic self. Through this release, you can evolve into the fullest version of yourself.

According to Lanyadoo, if we don’t use the energy of the eclipse to release and transform what we’ve outgown, we are “likely to be confronted by drama, or find yourself caught up in obsessive and self-destructive thoughts, or projecting past hurts onto current situations.”

Self-Care During the Eclipse

The process of illumination isn’t a process of “doing something” — it requires stillness to observe and listen. And yet this process requires a lot of energy; releasing what no longer serves us can often feel like heavy lifting.

During a lunar eclipse, you may feel the urge to hide out or sleep in. At the same time, the energy of the full moon may make you restless.

Approach the process with self-compassion. Allow yourself to rest. Be gentle with yourself. Engage in rituals that help you connect with your true self.

Whatever comes up for you, give yourself permission to be in your experience. Feel what you feel and notice what you notice without trying to define or put words around it.